Working as a Public Servant

Who's the largest employer in the world? In your country or city? It might be Walmart, Apple, Amazon, a Car Manufacturer or a Bank? Actually, for most jurisdictions, it is the government that employs the greatest number of people. In Canada, this includes city services, hospital staff, police, firefighters, social services, tax agencies, immigration offices, teachers etc. The list goes on and on. Basically, if the product or service is paid for by taxpayers, your salary most likely is too. I was one of those young adults that never really considered a government job or knew much about it before university, and even now as an MBA candidate there's a sense that public is not the way to go if you want innovation, higher salary or be part of the next big thing.

My experience as a public servant, though, do not bust those myths. True, technology upgrades are notoriously slow, there's a lot of paperwork, the average age is higher and wages for entry-level roles for all academic backgrounds are low. For me, while completing my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science, I didn't seek for hospital or quality control roles. I was- and still am passionate about public health, and thus began working for Health Canada in the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch as an Environmental Health Technician. Yes, there are data entry and administrative tasks involved. But what I remember most was going to band health centres and talking with community health leaders alongside Environmental Public Health Officers. Travel was very exciting and rewarding as I saw health improvement in food and water safety.

After graduation from undergraduate studies, I transitioned to an Administrative Officer position and our team transitioned to Indigenous Services Canada from Health Canada. Being part of the transformation process is frustrating yet I found myself learning every day through the challenges. I found my business acumen in performing budgets, financial reporting, using ERP software, being part of the recruitment team, onboarding new hires, learning benefit plans, negotiation and project management skills. The results of both my roles include a decrease in water advisories, increased efficiency of benefits enrollment and reimbursement, faster onboarding and hiring, and impacted the lives of citizens like you and me.

The fire of ambition driving each step now shows more paths as a member of being part of the largest employer of the country. Public service is not just a 9-5 job, it is a duty to help others. You can be a policymaker, innovation funder, immigration officer, translator, bird watcher, doctor, nurse, or even working aboard at an international bureau. It certainly does not suit everyone, but if it interests you, better get started on the application process, as it might take a while haha.

Cheers,

Kelly

#PublicService #Career #Government